IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/manchs/v74y2006i3p389-413.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Skill Specificity And Labour Mobility: Occupational And Sectoral Dimensions

Author

Listed:
  • ROBERT J. R. ELLIOTT
  • JOANNE LINDLEY

Abstract

The ability of workers to change job, sector or occupation and the costs associated with a reallocation of labour are the subject of lively debate among academics. This paper examines occupational and sectoral dimensions of labour mobility in the UK between 1985 and 2000 using data from the Labour Force Survey. By addressing Neal’s (Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 13 (1995), pp. 653–677) conclusion that ‘future research*T*.*T*.*T*.*T*must confront the task of defining job categories that directly capture important skill specificities’, we attempt to shed some light on the complex relationship between the labour market, the generality and specificity of skills and the ability of individuals to move between and within sectors as well as within and between occupations. Occupational skill specificity and previous sector of employment are shown to affect mobility jointly and individually. Absolute skill differentials also affect mobility with the less skilled exhibiting a greater propensity to change sector and occupation simultaneously.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert J. R. Elliott & Joanne Lindley, 2006. "Skill Specificity And Labour Mobility: Occupational And Sectoral Dimensions," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 74(3), pages 389-413, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:manchs:v:74:y:2006:i:3:p:389-413
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9957.2006.00500.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9957.2006.00500.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-9957.2006.00500.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bell, Una Louise, 2001. "Labour reallocation during transition: the case of Poland," ZEW Discussion Papers 01-38, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    2. Kathryn L. Shaw, 1984. "A Formulation of the Earnings Function Using the Concept of Occupational Investment," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 19(3), pages 319-340.
    3. Edward N. Wolff, 1995. "Technology and the Demand for Skills," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_153, Levy Economics Institute.
    4. Derek Neal, 1998. "The Link between Ability and Specialization: An Explanation for Observed Correlations between Wages and Mobility Rates," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 33(1), pages 173-200.
    5. S. Lael Brainard & David M. Cutler, 1993. "Sectoral Shifts and Cyclical Unemployment Reconsidered," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(1), pages 219-243.
    6. Dolton, Peter J & Kidd, Michael P, 1998. "Job Changes, Occupational Mobility and Human Capital Acquisition: An Empirical Analysis," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(4), pages 265-295, October.
    7. McCall, Brian P, 1990. "Occupational Matching: A Test of Sorts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(1), pages 45-69, February.
    8. Neal, Derek, 1999. "The Complexity of Job Mobility among Young Men," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(2), pages 237-261, April.
    9. Jackman, Richard & Savouri, Savvas, 1992. "Regional Migration in Britain: An Analysis of Gross Flows Using NHS Central Register Data," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 102(415), pages 1433-1450, November.
    10. Peter Wright & Richard Upward, 2004. "Snakes Or Ladders: Skill Upgrading And Occupational Mobility In The US And UK During The 1990s," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2004 114, Royal Economic Society.
    11. Lilien, David M, 1982. "Sectoral Shifts and Cyclical Unemployment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(4), pages 777-793, August.
    12. Greenaway, David & Nelson, Douglas, 2000. "The Assessment: Globalization and Labour-Market Adjustment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 16(3), pages 1-11, Autumn.
    13. Stephen Nickell, 1982. "The Determinants of Occupational Success in Britain," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 49(1), pages 43-53.
    14. Grossman, Gene M & Shapiro, Carl, 1982. "A Theory of Factor Mobility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(5), pages 1054-1069, October.
    15. Michelle Haynes & Richard Upward & Peter Wright, 2002. "Estimating the wage costs of inter- and intra- sectoral adjustment," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 138(2), pages 229-253, June.
    16. Connolly, Sara & Micklewright, John & Nickell, Stephen, 1992. "The Occupational Success of Young Men Who Left School at Sixteen," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 460-479, July.
    17. David Greenaway & Richard Upward & Peter Wright, 2002. "Sectoral Transformation and Labour Market Flows," International Economic Association Series, in: David Greenaway & Richard Upward & Katharine Wakelin (ed.), Trade, Investment, Migration and Labour Market Adjustment, chapter 6, pages 93-114, Palgrave Macmillan.
    18. Giulia Faggio & Jozef Konings, 1998. "Gross Job Flows in Transition Countries: Results from Company Accounts Data for Bulgaria, Estonia and Romania," LICOS Discussion Papers 7798, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    19. Abraham, Katharine G & Katz, Lawrence F, 1986. "Cyclical Unemployment: Sectoral Shifts or Aggregate Disturbances?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(3), pages 507-522, June.
    20. McCormick, Barry, 1997. "Regional unemployment and labour mobility in the UK," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(3-5), pages 581-589, April.
    21. Addison, John T & Portugal, Pedro, 1989. "Job Displacement, Relative Wage Changes, and Duration of Unemployment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(3), pages 281-302, July.
    22. Neal, Derek, 1995. "Industry-Specific Human Capital: Evidence from Displaced Workers," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(4), pages 653-677, October.
    23. Thomas, Jonathan M, 1996. "An Empirical Model of Sectoral Movements by Unemployed Workers," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(1), pages 126-153, January.
    24. Henley, Andrew, 1998. "Residential Mobility, Housing Equity and the Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(447), pages 414-427, March.
    25. Sicherman, Nachum, 1990. "Education and occupational mobility," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 163-179, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Larch Mario & Lechthaler Wolfgang, 2011. "Comparative Advantage and Skill-Specific Unemployment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-58, April.
    2. Wolfgang Lechthaler & Mariya Mileva, 2019. "Trade liberalization and wage inequality: new insights from a dynamic trade model with heterogeneous firms and comparative advantage," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 155(3), pages 407-457, August.
    3. Álvarez de Toledo, Pablo & Núñez, Fernando & Usabiaga, Carlos, 2013. "Labour Market Segmentation, Clusters, Mobility and Unemployment Duration with Individual Microdata," MPRA Paper 46003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Marius Brülhart & Robert J. R. Elliott & Joanne Lindley, 2006. "Intra-Industry Trade and Labour-Market Adjustment: A Reassessment Using Data on Individual Workers," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 142(3), pages 521-545, October.
    5. Mikhail Martynovich & Josef Taalbi, 2020. "Related variety, recombinant knowledge and regional innovation. Evidence for Sweden, 1991-2010," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2015, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Mar 2020.
    6. Kadri Kuusk & Mikhail Martynovich, 2018. "What kind of related variety for long-term regional growth?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1834, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2018.
    7. Carlos Usabiaga & Fernando Núñez & Pablo Álvarez de Toledo, 2013. "Segmentación del mercado de trabajo, clusters, movilidad y duración de desempleo con datos individuales," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2013/02, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    8. Wolfgang Lechthaler & Mariya Mileva, 2014. "Smoothing the Adjustment to Trade Liberalisation. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 61," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47248, Juni.
    9. Koji Murayama & Jun Nagayasu & Lamia Bazzaoui, 2022. "Spatial Dependence, Social Networks, and Economic Structures in Japanese Regional Labor Migration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-31, February.
    10. Hervé, Justine, 2023. "Specialists or generalists? Cross-industry mobility and wages," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Álvarez de Toledo, Pablo & Núñez, Fernando & Usabiaga, Carlos, 2014. "An empirical approach on labour segmentation. Applications with individual duration data," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 252-267.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. R J R Elliott & J Lindley, 2003. "Trade, Skills and Adjustment Costs: A Study of Intra-Sectoral Labour Mobility in the UK," Economics Discussion Paper Series 0312, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    2. Roberto Leombruni & Roberto Quaranta, 2002. "The Unemployment Route to Versatility," LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series 16, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.
    3. Greenaway, David & Wright, Peter & Upward, Richard, 2002. "Structural Adjustment and the Sectoral and Geographical Mobility of Labour," CEPR Discussion Papers 3662, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Donggyun Shin & Kwanho Shin, 2008. "Fluctuations of unemployment and inter- and intra-sectoral reallocations of workers," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 231-251.
    5. Esther Eiling & Raymond Kan & Ali Sharifkhani, 2018. "Sectoral Labor Reallocation and Return Predictability," Working Papers 2018-006, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    6. Giovanni Gallipoli & Gianluigi Pelloni, 2013. "Macroeconomic Effects of Job Reallocations: A Survey," Review of Economic Analysis, Digital Initiatives at the University of Waterloo Library, vol. 5(2), pages 127-176, December.
    7. Jinzhu Chen & Prakash Kannan & Prakash Loungani & Bharat Trehan, 2012. "New evidence on cyclical and structural sources of unemployment," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue March, pages 1-23.
    8. Bachmann Ronald & Burda Michael C., 2010. "Sectoral Transformation, Turbulence and Labor Market Dynamics in Germany," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 37-59, February.
    9. Shin, Kwanho, 1997. "Sectoral shocks and movement costs: Effects on employment and welfare," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 449-471.
    10. Prakash Loungani & Bharat Trehan, 1997. "Explaining unemployment: sectoral vs aggregate shocks," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, pages 3-15.
    11. Sérgio Lagoa & Fátima Suleman, 2016. "Industry- and occupation-specific human capital: evidence from displaced workers," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(1), pages 44-68, April.
    12. Álvarez de Toledo, Pablo & Núñez, Fernando & Usabiaga, Carlos, 2014. "An empirical approach on labour segmentation. Applications with individual duration data," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 252-267.
    13. Sullivan, Paul, 2010. "Empirical evidence on occupation and industry specific human capital," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 567-580, June.
    14. Carlos Usabiaga & Pablo Álvarez de Toledo & Fernando Núñez, 2013. "Labour Market Segmentation, Clusters, Mobility And Unemployment Duration With Individual Microdata," EcoMod2013 5688, EcoMod.
    15. Campos, Nauro & Dabusinskas, Aurelijus, 2002. "So Many Rocket Scientists, so Few Marketing Clerks: Occupational Mobility in Times of Rapid Technological Change," CEPR Discussion Papers 3531, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Carl Sanders & Christopher Taber, 2012. "Life-Cycle Wage Growth and Heterogeneous Human Capital," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 4(1), pages 399-425, July.
    17. Shin, Kwanho, 1997. "Inter- and Intrasectoral Shocks: Effects on the Unemployment Rate," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(2), pages 376-401, April.
    18. Campos, Nauro F. & Dabusinskas, Aurelijus, 2009. "So many rocket scientists, so few marketing clerks: Estimating the effects of economic reform on occupational mobility in Estonia," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 261-275, June.
    19. Carlos Usabiaga & Fernando Núñez & Pablo Álvarez de Toledo, 2013. "Segmentación del mercado de trabajo, clusters, movilidad y duración de desempleo con datos individuales," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2013/02, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    20. William T. Dickens & Robert K. Triest, 2012. "Potential effects of the Great Recession on the U.S. labor market," Working Papers 12-9, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:manchs:v:74:y:2006:i:3:p:389-413. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/semanuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.